The present invention relates to a mucotome, that is, a dermatome for mucous membranes, having a handle and a cutting head arranged on its forward end, with a blade holder for carrying a cutting blade. The blade holder is reciprocable parallel to the cutting surface along an axial guide formed in the cutting head and a cutting shoe, formed as part of the cutting head, contributes to the determination of the cutting depth of the cutting blade. A drive shaft is arranged in a radial sliding support formed by the cutting head and has a front crank with an eccentric crank pin engageable in a cross groove in the blade holder, which cross groove extends in a radial plane and has a cross section that is adapted to receive the crank pin.
In a mucotome of the type known from German Utility Model Publication No. 7,526,361, which is moved by pulling, the cutting shoe is also formed as a blade holder comprising an element which is bent twice in the same direction with two generally rectangular bends. The blade holder is provided with transverse bores and is guided along two parallel rods in the cutting head. The primary disadvantage of this known mucotome is that the cutting head cannot be formed as compactly as necessary because of the guiding of the cutting shoe and blade holder along the rods when introducing and handling the mucotome in the oral cavity.